


As old as life itself

by Superkattiveh



Series: Victim of my Victory [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26302390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superkattiveh/pseuds/Superkattiveh
Summary: It was a bright, sunny day in District 12.A gentle breeze caressed his skin, cool enough to remind him that fall was upon them. This made him smile...
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: Victim of my Victory [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873657
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	As old as life itself

It was a bright, sunny day in District 12.

A gentle breeze caressed his skin, cool enough to remind him that fall was upon them. This made him smile.

Peeta loved fall. He loved waking up early in the morning to see the sun rise; he loved the falling leaves and their crispy sound underneath his feet; he loved the warm colours of the woods, the stark contrast with the evergreen trees and the warm clothes he got to wear. Most of all, he loved the smell of apples and pumpkin that pervaded the bakery.

He loved all these things and most of all he loved bringing his wife her favourite cheese buns, perfect for that kind of weather.

«I’m going home» he announced to his employee, Anice. The girl smiled and told him to say hello to Katniss. He told her he would and then took a walk home.

District 12 had changed so much since the war.

The Second Rebellion had completely wiped out District 12 and District 8 – that’s why Anice moved there – but now his District was wealthier than he could have ever imagined, and the Government seemed to care more about the poors. Children were not starving anymore, but Peeta’s eyes were keen on noticing the overused clothes and the sad glares towards the stuffed cakes. He made sure that each of them had free sweets and bread – he didn’t need to sell them to live and he opened the bakery to have something to do in his life – so he could tell that things were better, life wasn’t as harsh as it used to be, and now he could be happy and safe with his wife and their child.

Peeta’s heart trembled at the thought.

He had almost given up on hope on that matter. Katniss had been adamant for so long that he just accepted it. He wanted kids so badly, yes, but he wanted Katniss more. He’d chose her happiness over his, every time, so he never spoke about it, unless she started the subject.

She chose his happiness over hers, too.

So that day, when she told him to be expecting he tried to suppress the wave of joy that overwhelmed him.

«How you feel about it?» he asked her instead.

She appeared doubtful, but a little smiled curved her lips as she caressed her belly. «I think… I think I could get used to it.»

«What I mean is… do you want this? You know that you don’t have to, if you don’t want to.»

For a frightening moment he thought she was about to say that she didn’t feel ready, that she still did not want to be a mother, that it was too soon for her and missed Prim too much to cradle another child in her arms. He would have understood any reason.

Instead, the smile got wider and she caressed his cheek. «I know… but I think… I think that I need to hear the laugh of a child to be happy. And we could make this child laugh a lot.»

Peeta almost cried in joy.

He couldn’t say why he was thinking about that on that day; nothing specific happened to trigger that memory.

_Maybe I’m just so happy that I keep living that moment over and over again._

Three months had passed since they got the news, but the later appointments with the doctors established that when they found out, Katniss was already five weeks pregnant. He couldn’t wait for the remaining five months to pass and finally hold his child in his arms. Those arms could bake - _those arms killed as well_ – but they could paint, be gentle.

Peeta was a murderer, no matter how beloved, and he already feared the day he’d have to look into his child’s eyes and tell them the truth. But the world was a safer place, now. The world could be scary and haunting and merciless… but _that_ world was a world of the past, like the falling leaves under his boots. That baby was the proof that there was good in the world and it was worth fighting for. If even _Katniss_ convinced herself that the world was safe and warm enough to have a baby, why couldn’t he?

Maybe he himself was a threat to his own baby’s safety…

He felt the familiar tenseness of the panic attack hold his chest and cut off his breath. His eyes widened in panic as he inhaled and exhaled in the desperate attempt to catch his breath. A part of him was grateful for it to be just a panic attack and not one of his episodes. When he felt like he had control again he felt his eyes watering and all the good mood gone. He just wanted to come home and have Katniss comfort him.

The Victor’s Village wasn’t too far away, and he got there within minutes, the cracking sound of leaves under his feet accompanying him.

«I’m home» he announced as he closed the door behind him. It was still too warm to have the fire crackling in the fireplace, but it wasn’t its absence that informed him that Katniss wasn’t home. In the years he had become so accustomed to his wife’s presence that he could intuitively tell whether she was there or not. He wouldn’t have worried in other situations – he knew very well that Katniss could take care of herself and the pregnancy hadn’t changed that – but the after effects of the panic attack urged him to look for her.

She wasn’t at Haymitch. If he knew her well – and he did – she was in the woods. And if she wanted to be found… he knew the place. Otherwise, he’d just have to wait for her.

He grabbed the cheese buns and went into the woods.

Luckily, Katniss wanted to be found.

She was sitting on a rock, her hand caressing her belly, gazing dreamily in the distance. She didn’t seem surprised to see him: surely his noise made every animal run away from them looking for safety.

«I brought you some cheese buns» Peeta greeted her kissing her cheek. The woman smiled and thanked him.

«So, why are you here?»

Peeta laughed: «I’m here for you. The question is… why are _you_ here?»

Katniss looked away, suddenly tense. She avoided his gaze, almost ashamed. «I felt the baby… I felt her move.»

«Really?» Peeta was enthusiastic, but his wife’s voice told him that there was something more. «What troubles you?»

Katniss kept looking away, as if she didn’t want to answer, then gave up. «I am afraid.»

«Oh.»

«I am terrified. What if something horrible happens to her? I don’t want to…»

«I know that, I know…» Peeta hugged her, feeling her melt under his touch. He caressed her loose hair, her shoulder, her arms, even her hand, and kissed it lightly. This made a small smile curve her lips, but her eyes were watering. «There are no more Reapings, Katniss. No more Games. The only thing that could harm her is your cuisine.»

Katniss rolled her eyes but laughed, in spite of herself, and took one cheese bun from the box. «You’re right… but… I want her now, I want to hold her and to be sure she’s safe.»

«She already is. I feel scared too, you know.» Peeta said, eating a cheese bun as well. They were cold, but still tasty. _Nice job, Peeta._

«Why?» Katniss asked. Her eyes widened in panic. «You too think it’s not safe?»

«No, no, absolutely not» he reassured her. Now it was his time to look away in shame. «I… had a panic attack, before. It wasn’t one of my episodes, but…»

After a while, Katniss asked: «How are you now?»

«I’m fine, fine» he smiled at her and caress her belly, but his voice lowered in sadness. «I am just so afraid that _I_ might be a threat to our child.»

«Oh, Peeta» Katniss caressed his cheek and stared into his eyes, grey against blue. «How could you?»

«Because of what I am. Of what I’ve done, even to you… I’m afraid I could turn back to a mutt.» Oddly, saying it out loud made him feel lighter, as if a heavy weight was carried away from his back. Lighter, but not exactly better.

«Peeta, the only thing I am truly sure is that you will be the best thing to happen to our children.»

The man looked at her, incredulous. Katniss nodded. «You came back to me when everybody, myself included, believed you to be lost forever. Yet you found a way.» She caressed him once more and told him the best thing anyone could ever say to him. «I wanted this baby because I felt ready, yes. But I felt ready because you are by my side. I want to live, and be happy, and have this baby, because it’s you. It’s always been you.»

Peeta needed a couple of seconds before answering. «Since when you’re so talkative?»

Katniss rolled her eyes and placed herself into his arms, looking into the dying woods. «Since I had to convince a fool to be way better than he thought he was.»

«I should meet him.»

«You wouldn’t like him.»

«Why not?»

Katniss grinned. «Because you two are too alike.»

«Oh, I see» Peeta smiled and kissed her forehead. «It would be like you and Haymitch.»

«I like Haymitch!» Katniss protested.

«When he’s not around» Peeta said with a smile.

Katniss was forced to admit: «When he’s not around. And when he’s not drunk, which is more often nowadays, isn’t it?»

«We got to give him credit for that, yeah.»

«I give credits to your cheese buns. Always so good.»

Peeta smiled, feeling fall coming in the air and the new life that would have come with it. It was okay. Day by day. Together. «Thank you, sweetheart.»

**Author's Note:**

> Just a lil everlark OS, because no matter what they are always in our hearts...  
> Fall is coming so I got inspired. Hope you enjoy it...  
> -marina  
> You can find us here: [superkattivehblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/superkattivehblr)


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